Yes, if you are comparing a brand name (which is what you are paying for) then you will be paying up the wazoo. I was in Monte Carlo at Cartier around the time I was getting engaged and they had an amazing pink oval 3ct diamond ering. Talk about sticker shock. $1.7 million USD. Most people I know have friends/family in the jewelry business and you get good prices. My jeweler searched out stones for my ring after we told him what I wanted.
Average engagement ring / diamond in NYC?
- Thread starter janboy
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
Yes, if you are comparing a brand name (which is what you are paying for) then you will be paying up the wazoo. I was in Monte Carlo at Cartier around the time I was getting engaged and they had an amazing pink oval 3ct diamond ering. Talk about sticker shock. $1.7 million USD. Most people I know have friends/family in the jewelry business and you get good prices. My jeweler searched out stones for my ring after we told him what I wanted.
I live in LA. The median income is probably high (I can't assume higher than NY because I don't know the circle there) but most girls around here wear 2.5 and up center stones. Price ranges start in the 80K. These rings are worn daily, rarely cleaned and are seen at the kiddie parks, salons and grocery stores. Most of the time the quality is decent (VS2 and up) although there is the normal slew of polkadot poor quality stones. The friends I have that live in NY also have larger than 2ct center stone rings. OR they have massive wedding bands that equal over 3ct, with their engagement rings tucked away at home or in safety deposit boxes. Everyone I know insures their rings and just enjoys wearing them. They may tone down the other bling (earrings, necklaces and bracelets) when at work, but they always have their engagement and wedding rings on.
BTW, pears and emerald/princess cuts are the most I see. Round and marquis, are rarer around here.
BTW, pears and emerald/princess cuts are the most I see. Round and marquis, are rarer around here.
This is a very interesting thread! I live in LA now, but lived in NY for a few years. Funny thing is, my friends who still live in NY probably think that my engagement ring is not substantial enough. But my friends in LA all think my ring is a "rock". It's all about social perceptions and expectations. In that circle of NY lawyers and doctors, I think the expectation is bigger rather than smaller.
Also, it's really important to consider your gf's finger size and body proportion. I am 5'3'', 98 pounds, and have a size 4 finger, so my 1.29 round solitaire looks anywhere from a 1.5-2 carat (depending on the light).
Another thing is the cut of the diamond. A well cut diamond can look bigger from the top down (with a larger proportion on the top, less bottom heavy if you will). In addition, a better cut usually has better light performance, which can influence how the eye perceives the size, making it look bigger than it is. My diamond is a super ideal cut, hearts & arrows diamond that has amazing light performance (very good fire, brilliance, and scintillation under the brilliancescope)...under some lights, my gfs have commented that my 1.29 looks like a 2 carat on me (given my size 4 finger). If you're interested in this cut at just-above-wholesale price, you can check out superbcert super ideal cut diamonds at excel diamonds...located in the heart of NY diamond district. Absolutely the best price there is for that quality.
Last thing...you can always get a 1.5 carat center and then surround it with a pave, halo setting and it will look like a 2.5 carat!
Anyways, I hope this info helps. Best of luck to you!
Also, it's really important to consider your gf's finger size and body proportion. I am 5'3'', 98 pounds, and have a size 4 finger, so my 1.29 round solitaire looks anywhere from a 1.5-2 carat (depending on the light).
Another thing is the cut of the diamond. A well cut diamond can look bigger from the top down (with a larger proportion on the top, less bottom heavy if you will). In addition, a better cut usually has better light performance, which can influence how the eye perceives the size, making it look bigger than it is. My diamond is a super ideal cut, hearts & arrows diamond that has amazing light performance (very good fire, brilliance, and scintillation under the brilliancescope)...under some lights, my gfs have commented that my 1.29 looks like a 2 carat on me (given my size 4 finger). If you're interested in this cut at just-above-wholesale price, you can check out superbcert super ideal cut diamonds at excel diamonds...located in the heart of NY diamond district. Absolutely the best price there is for that quality.
Last thing...you can always get a 1.5 carat center and then surround it with a pave, halo setting and it will look like a 2.5 carat!
Anyways, I hope this info helps. Best of luck to you!
i'm sorry to say this but the size of yourr fiance and her finger definitely makes a difference as with all things in life. my center stone is a e color vs2 and 2.5 carets. luckily i live in LA. so if your fiance is one the big side (so there's more than to love) then you should spend a little more fi you truly love her. if that doesn't seem like a good deal, then find some one with smaller fingers which should not be a probelm in NYC. i'm reallly tired of people afraid of using the word "fat" or "overweight" here in in the states. it's not only bad for your health but sign of greediness and excess.
whatever happened to just being hot and ok with that.
whatever happened to just being hot and ok with that.
i'm sorry to say this but the size of yourr fiance and her finger definitely makes a difference as with all things in life. my center stone is a e color vs2 and 2.5 carets. luckily i live in LA. so if your fiance is one the big side (so there's more than to love) then you should spend a little more fi you truly love her. if that doesn't seem like a good deal, then find some one with smaller fingers which should not be a probelm in NYC. i'm reallly tired of people afraid of using the word "fat" or "overweight" here in in the states. it's not only bad for your health but sign of greediness and excess.
Ummm what is wrong with you? "so there's more to love"???? Find someone with smaller fingers???
i'm sorry to say this but the size of yourr fiance and her finger definitely makes a difference as with all things in life. my center stone is a e color vs2 and 2.5 carets. luckily i live in LA. so if your fiance is one the big side (so there's more than to love) then you should spend a little more fi you truly love her. if that doesn't seem like a good deal, then find some one with smaller fingers which should not be a probelm in NYC. i'm reallly tired of people afraid of using the word "fat" or "overweight" here in in the states. it's not only bad for your health but sign of greediness and excess.
Is this a joke??
i'm sorry to say this but the size of yourr fiance and her finger definitely makes a difference as with all things in life. my center stone is a e color vs2 and 2.5 carets. luckily i live in LA. so if your fiance is one the big side (so there's more than to love) then you should spend a little more fi you truly love her. if that doesn't seem like a good deal, then find some one with smaller fingers which should not be a probelm in NYC. i'm reallly tired of people afraid of using the word "fat" or "overweight" here in in the states. it's not only bad for your health but sign of greediness and excess.
umm...where did this come from? pent up fustration/bitterness perhaps?
I'm thinking these prices are pretty high that are being quoted here and may not be indicative of pricing across the board ... my DH bought my 2.11 E ring in December 2002 at a wholesaler here in SF. It's a J color and VVS1 clarity and was only $8K. Granted, the price would have been higher if we had gone with a higher color, but I think in the end you should only pay what makes sense to your budget, not what your coworkers and people in your city are paying.
My ring is only .75 carats but everyone thinks it's at least 1 carat b/c it's an excellent and very sparkly cut. It shines so much that it looks bigger than it actually is. I should mention that I don't live in NYC (I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, but it's a big city and I think most rings are about 1 carat).
Anyway, just like all the other girls said, go for quality. She'll be happier in the long run!
Anyway, just like all the other girls said, go for quality. She'll be happier in the long run!
umm...where did this come from? pent up fustration/bitterness perhaps?
I cracked up when I saw this reaction because I could totally see a real person making the exact face as that smiley after saying that line, heeheeheeheehee!
What does hand size have to do with weight? I'm regular sized, in better shape than the average American, but happen to have stubby peasant hands instead of those long piano-player hands with the thin fingers and non-knobbly kuckles and very oval nail beds. Is the implication here that there is some special diet I could go on to make my hands smaller? Alternatively, is there some plastic surgery available to make my big knuckles smaller? If so, please let me know, 'cause I think really feminine hands are REALLy lovely and have never had them. Would the poster of the fat-hands comment PLEASE post hand-shrinking diet tips, especially if they include finger-lengthening results?!
Totally off-topic, but I wonder why people think piano players should have thin fingers and "non-knobbly kuckles [sic]". I play the piano and a fortune-teller once told me that my hands looks like they were made for gardening,
.